The Barclays Area is About to Get a Little Sweeter

Photo via Sugar Factory

Back in March of 2010, when construction first began on the Barclays Center, developers swore up & down that once the arena opened up, the local economy was TOTALLY going to boom! Businesses in the surrounding area would be FLOODED with arena-goers. Real estate magnate Michael Pintchik, who owns a number of buildings surrounding Barclays, was going to make bank by bringing new & exciting businesses to his properties. Neighborhood REVITALIZATION!

Flash forward to 2014 and, almost two years after the rusty stadium first opened, it hasn't exactly panned out that way. Sure there's a Shake Shack slated to open up soon in a Pintchik building on Flatbush across from the arena, but Shake Shack does not a neighborhood make. In the last few days though, there've been a few announcements that hint at things picking up in the area.

On Wednesday, the Daily News announced that Major Food Group, the folks behind Manhattan standouts Parm, Torrisi's Italian Specialties, Carbone & ZZ's Clam Bar, would be moving across the river with their first Brooklyn location of Parm. Back in November, Pintchik, who owns the soon-to-be Parm space at 208-210 Flatbush Ave, first mentioned that a "very successful Manhattan restaurateur" would be moving in. He's right in saying that they're very successful. Back in 2010, Torrisi's Italian Specialties got two stars from NY Times critic Sam Sifton. Last year, Carbone bested those two stars by picking up three from the Times’ Pete Wells. When Parm finally opens, it'll definitely be a boost to the dwindling choices for Italian food in the area.

Not to be outdone, yesterday Sugar Factory, the Vegas-based chain of celebrity-obsessed candy store/café/bars that's been listed as "opening soon" on the ground floor of Barclays for pretty much forever, screamed "Look at us! We're important too!" by announcing that they'll finally be opening in September. THANK. GOD. For some time now, I've been wondering when I'd finally get the opportunity to eat candy & drink an oversized, overpriced, overly sweet cocktail in the same room as Mario Lopez or P Diddy without having to go to Manhattan.

On the heels of these two announcements, yesterday people kinda freaked out when word came out that Bergen St's wildly popular sandwich shop, City Sub, had shut their doors for a lil' relocation somewhere on the same block. Rumor is that they'll be moving into the larger space formerly occupied by Melt. Til now, they'd been pumping out beaucoup sandwiches out of a tiny storefront, so if the Melt rumors are true, it'll mean a definite increase in their already-steady business. Unfortunately, it looks like we'll have to suffer through a summer with no City Sub.

Just you wait though. Once all three businesses open their doors, developers' dreams of the Barclays boost will finally come to fruition. From there, it's only a matter of time until Flatbush Ave. is paved in gold.

Read way more from Shawn at eatdrinksnack.com and eatdrinktaco.com.